Carton packing device

ABSTRACT

A device for inserting rectangular prismatic bales of soft yieldable material, e.g. rubber, into a carton. The device comprises a tiltable carton support means for holding a carton in filling position with a bale-receiving opening on its side and tilting a filled carton through 90* to upright position, conveyor means for positioning bales resting on a narrow rectangular face longitudinally in front of the bale-receiving opening of the carton and pusher means for pushing the bales from the conveyor into the carton.

United States Patent Wood 1 May 29, 1973 1 CARTON PACKING DEVICE [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Lloyd Murray Wood, Sarnia, On- UNITED STATES PATENTS Canada 2,613,021 10/1952 Bowes ..53/165 x [73] Assignee: Polymer Corporation Limited, Sar- 2,053, 35 3/1936 Kimball et --53/2 5 X nia, Ontario, Canada 2,786,565 3/1957 Eckart ..198/33 AD 3,434,603 3/1969 Herman 53/l62 X [22] Filed: Nov. 30, 1970 ExaminerRobert Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 27, 1970 Canada ..73209 Attorney-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [57] ABSTRACT A device for inserting rectangular prismatic bales of soft yieldable material, e.g. rubber, into a carton. The device comprises a tiltable carton support means for holding a carton in filling position with a bale-receiving opening on its side and tilting a filled carton through 90 to upright position, conveyor means for positioning bales resting on a narrow rectangular face longitudinally in front of the bale-receiving opening of the carton and pusher means for pushing the bales from the conveyor into the carton.

2 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures SHEET BF 7 PATENTEB MY 2 91975 mc md 1:25

PATENIED M29 1975 3 7 5,551

SHEET 7 OF 7 CARTON PACKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION is particularly directed to a device for inserting bales of soft yieldable material into cartons.

2. Description of the Prior Art During the manufacture of rubber and similar materials, particulate material is formed under pressure into rectangular prismatic shapes called bales." These bales usually have an elongated configuration with a pair of wide rectangular side faces and a pair of narrow rectangular side faces. A typical bale of rubber measures about 28 inches in length, 14 inches in width and 7 inches in height and weighs about 75 pounds.

Due to air which is trapped under pressure during formation of the bales, some relaxation occurs in the bales whereby the air bubbles expand, stretching the rubber and causing a swelling of the bales. This effect is called bale swell. It occurs a few minutes after baling and leads to larger maximum dimensions of length, width and height, together with some deformation from the original rectangular prism shape.

If these bales are left for a week or more on a flat surface, they will slowly change in shape. The sides move out under pressure superimposed by the upper part of the bale and the bale then has the characteristics of a viscous liquid in that it flows to a larger area contacting the table, with resultant reduction in thickness and deformation from the previous shape. This is commonly known as cold flow.

These bales may or may not be enveloped in film or bags, but economics of transportation demand that they be placed in larger cartons, boxes or crates for handling by fork lift trucks. It is advantageous if this can be done immediately after formation of the bales so that cold flow effects can be minimized.

It is also desirable that for a stable package, the bales rest on a wide rectangular face for transportation. This arrangement is also preferable from the point of view of cold flow, which consolidates the bales and makes withdrawal difficult. For withdrawal of the bales, the carton or crate is stripped away from the consolidated mass so that the bales may be manually moved by the processor.

It is the customary procedure in primary rubber producing plants to manually load bales into cartons and cratesfor economical transportation to the processors. At the same time, a suitable machine for this purpose is highly desirable not only because of the higher handling speeds possible and savings in manpower costs, but also because in manual loading of these heavy bales, back strains are very prevalent among the bale handlers.

It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide a suitable mechanical device for loading such bales into cartons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the carton loader of this invention, a tiltable carton support means is provided which is adapted to hold the carton in filling position on its side with the open mouth of the carton in a vertical plane. A conveyor means is provided for positioning the bales resting on one of their narrow rectangular faces in front of the open mouth of the carton and a pusher device is provided for pushing the bales from the conveyor into the carton. Means are also provided for tilting the filled carton to the upright position so that the bales lie on their wide rectangular faces in a stable condition when the carton is in the upright position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The carton may have a number of separate cells or compartments designed to individually withstand the hydraulic pressure from cold flow and it may be encased in a box or crate. Alternatively, the carton may be without cells, and be designed to be capable of withstanding the hydraulic pressures caused by cold flow or surrounded by a crate for that purpose. Preferably, the carton is designed with a series of vertical partitions so that when it is being loaded while resting on its side, a series of horizontal compartments are available to receive bales. The carton holding means is vertically adjustable so that each compartment can be aligned with the pusher mechanism for loading the bales.

The bales are conventionally transferred from the conveyor to the carton on a bale support guide, preferably in the form of a metal tray with low side walls. This support guide is preferably horizontally movable into and out of the bale receiving mouth of the carton. According to one embodiment, the end of the guide extends only a short distance into the carton during loading of a row of bales and, after the row has been loaded, the guide is moved out of engagement with the carton to permit the carton to be moved vertically. It then moves back into engagement with the carton to insert the next row of bales.

In accordance with another embodiment, the guide in fully extended position extends to the bottom of the carton. With this arrangement a full row of bales is sequentially pushed into the carton while still resting on the guide and when the full row has been inserted, it is held in position by the pusher and the guide is retracted from engagement with the inserted bales and the carton. With the guide retracted, the carton can be moved vertically to the next loading position and the guide is again inserted to the bottom of the carton and the sequence repeated. This arrangement is particularly useful when the carton does not contain any interior partitions.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the pusher for pushing the bales into the cartons has a raised perimeter. Thus, it has been found that the use of a flat plate pusher caused deflections in the bales such that the entry face was elongated and the bale weight tended to bind on the leading edges of the bales. This is a typical phenomenon that occurs with materials which are readily strained, such as rubber. By providing a pusher plate with a raised perimeter, on the face contacting the bale, the force is applied to the bale at the perimeter with the result that the middle of the face of the bale deflects towards the pusher plate. This causes the leading face of the bale to contract, thus raising the leading edges and the bale moves with most or all of its weight on the trailing edges. This avoids binding or bounce of the bale on the bale guide.

The bale pusher can also be provided with an orifice for spraying a dusting powder, e.g. talc, on the bales. This helps to prevent the bales from sticking to the pusher plate and also improves the sliding of the bales on the bale guide or carton partition. The orifice can conveniently be in a central area of the pusher plate and ca be connected to a source of powder under pressure by means of a flexible hose. can

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing the main components of the loading device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing the position of the pusher mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing details of the pusher plate;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the carton holding and tilting mechanism in position for receiving and discharging cartons;

FIG. 5 is an elevation showing details of the bale tipping conveyor and the bale transfer conveyor;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the components shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation in partial section showing the transfer conveyor and bale pushing mechanism;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view along IX-IX of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation in partial section showing the bale pusher and bale guide mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation of the carton holding and tilting mechanism in loading position; and

FIG. 12 is a side elevation of the carton holding and tilting mechanism in carton removal position.

A simplified illustration of the main components of the invention is given in FIGS. 14 and from these Figures it will be seen that a carton 1 on a pallet 2 is placed on the carton holding and tipping mechanism 3 in the position shown in FIG. 4. The mechanism is then tilted through 90 so as to assume the position shown in FIG. 1.

This illustration shows a three-compartment carton and a scissors jack mechanism 4 raises the carton 1 to its top position. A bale guide 5 extends into and rests on the lip of the lowermost compartment of the carton. In this position, the carton is ready to accept bales.

The bales 6 which are to be loaded are received, e.g. on a gravity conveyor, lying on a wide rectangular face and are transferred to upwardly inclined conveyor 7. When this conveyor is actuated, the bale 6 moves up and over the upper end of the conveyor, tipping in the direction of the arrow and dropping onto the transfer conveyor 8 on a narrow rectangular face (position 60) with its long axis in the direction of travel.

The transfer conveyor can be in the form of a belt or chain conveyor or a pair of banks of short rollers can be used with a transfer beam moving longitudinally in a passageway between the banks of rollers. The transfer conveyor 8 is preferably designed to move the bales sequentially therealong and to deliver them onto bale guide 5 in front of pusher plate 9.

As will be seen from FIG. 3, the face of the pusher plate 9 contacting the bale 6 is preferably provided with a raised peripheral edge 10. This permits the bale to deflect in towards the middle of the pusher plate as shown with the resultant contraction of the leading face 11 of the bale 6. As explained above, this avoids binding or bounce of the bale on bale guide 5. The pusher plate 9 preferably also includes an orifice 12 for spraying dusting powder onto the bale. This orifice is connected to a flexible hose 13 which is connected to a source of dusting powder under pressure.

In operation, after bale 6 has travelled up conveyor 7 and dropped into position 6a, the conveyor 7 stops and conveyor 8 is actuated, moving the bale forward one position (position 6b). This leaves position vacant and conveyor 7 is again actuated, delivering another bale to position 6a so that there are now bales in positions 6a and 6b. The conveyor is once again actuated delivering the bale in position 6b onto the bale guide 5 and moving the bale from position 6a to position 6b, thus leaving the position below conveyor 7 empty. At this stage, the conveyor 7 is once again actuated, filling the position 6a. Now the pusher 9 is actuated, pushing the bale resting on guide 5 a short distance into the carton and retracting to clear the area for the entry of the next bale in front of the pusher (see FIG. 2). All of the bales now move forward one position so that the next bale enters into the position on bale guide 5 and it is also pushed a short distance with the first bale before it. This procedure is repeated until a predetermined number of bales has entered into the carton. The entry of the last bale in the series signals a long stroke and the series of bales is driven by the pusher into contact with the bottom of the carton. The pusher 9 stays in that position and the guide 5 is withdrawn after which the pusher 9 retracts. This signals the moving of the carton down to the second compartment by means of scissors jack 4, thus assuming the position shown in FIG. 2. In this position the entire procedure described above is repeated until the second compartment has been filled after which the carton lowers once again and the third compartment is filled.

After all compartments of the carton have been filled and the guide 5 and pusher 9 have retracted, the tipper mechanism 3 is actuated, returning the carton to the vertical position shown in FIG. 4, in which position it can be sealed, strapped and removed, e.g. by a fork lift truck, and replaced by another empty carton. The entire procedure is then repeated with a new carton.

This system is easily rendered automatic by means of photo-electric cells, limit switches, timers, etc. so that when an empty carton has been positioned on the tipper mechanism 3, the operator need merely press a button to start the cycle and the entire cycle will proceed automatically until the carton has been filled and returned to the upright position to be removed. The system can also be fully automated by providing an automatic infeed conveyor for empty cartons and an automatic conveyor for removal of filled cartons.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EQUIPMENT As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bale tipping conveyor 7 has a metal framework 20 on which is mounted an upwardly inclined table 21. This table supports a pair of rollers 23 and 24 over which travels an endless conveyor belt 22. This belt also travels around guide rollers 25 and 26 and drive roller 27 which is powered by electric motor 28.

A gravity-type conveyor 29 is positioned adjacent the lower end of the conveyor belt 22 to deliver the bales to be packed.

Adjacent the upper end of bale tipping conveyor 7 is the transfer conveyor 8. This conveyor also is supported by a metal framework 30 and metal support plates 31. These support plates have a recess 32 and mounted above the support frame are channel members 34. Two banks of conveyor rollers 33 are mounted on the channel members 34 with a space therebetween.

A pair of guide walls are also provided to control the fall of the bales onto conveyor 8. These include an outer guide wall 35 and an inner guide wall 36 which also serves to rigidly connect the transfer conveyor to the bale tipping conveyor.

The transfer conveyor is described in greater detail in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 and it will be seen that the bales are carried along the rollers 33 by means of a transfer beam 40. The transfer beam is mounted on guide members 41 by means of pivot 42 and the beam travels on solid tire wheels 43 rotatably mounted by means of bolts 44 in support brackets 45. These are all positioned in the space 32 directly beneath the conveyor rollers 33. The transfer beam 40 extends up above the top of the roll ers 33 and carries the bales forward on the conveyor.

The support brackets 45 also have L-bars 49 fixed to their top faces and these L-bars 49 support the inner ends of shafts 46 on which rollers 33 turn.

The transfer beam 40 is moved backward and forward along the conveyor by means of shaft 47 of air cylinder 48. The movement of the bales from the tip ping conveyor 7 onto the transfer conveyor 8 and the movement of the bales sequentially along the transfer conveyor are controlled by the photo-electric cells PC. 1 and P.C. 2 as well as by the limit switches L8. 1 and L8. 2. These are arranged so that when bale tipping conveyor 7 is actuated, the first bale falls over the upper end of the conveyor belt 22 and onto the transfer conveyor, interrupting photo cell RC. 1 on the way, and thus stopping the conveyor belt. This belt 22 cannot then be started until the transfer beam 40 has moved the bale along the transfer conveyor one position. Provided the bale has fallen correctly onto the transfer conveyor, photo cell P.C. 2 is interrupted and this allows the transfer beam to advance one position where limit switch L5. 1 causes it to return and be stopped by limit switch L.S. 2. The second bale can now drop and the cycle repeated.

In their forward movement along the transfer conveyor to the bale guide 5, the bales are aligned by means of guide walls 50. The bale guide 5 is provided at its side adjacent conveyor 8 with a downwardly sloped lip 51 over which a bale travels from the conveyor onto the guide 5. At the other side of guide 5 is a bale abutting plate 52. All of the guards, deflectors, etc. which contact the bales are preferably coated with polytetrafluoroethylene or a similar material.

The bale guide 5 is supported by means of a pair of members 90 carrying rollers 91 which travel in tracks 92. The guide 5 moves backward and forward in the tracks by means of air cylinder 93 mounted on bracket 94, which is fixed on a horizontal member 95 of steel framework 96.

The bale pusher mechanism includes a pair of horizontal channel members 53 supported by frame members 54, 55 and 56. Tracks 57 are provided on the vertical faces of the channel members 53 and carry rollers 58 mounted on the sides of a support carriage 59 for the pusher plate 9. An air cylinder 60 is mounted from channel members 53 by brackets 61 and the rod 62 is connected to plate 9. Thus, the plate 9 and support carriage 59 move backward and forward along tracks 57 by the action of air cylinder 60.

A vertical plate 63 is mounted at the end of the bale pusher mechanism and this serves as an abutment to prevent bales from falling out of one compartment of the carton while other compartments are being filled.

.The operation of the baleguide 5 and the pusher plate 9 are controlled by a series of limit switches in the following manner. When a bale is in position in front of pusher plate 9, limit switch L.S. 3 is operated which stops any more bales being dropped on the transfer conveyor and starts the pusher. The pusher extends to limit switch L8. 4 and returns to L.S. 5 with limit switch L.S. 3 now released and the pusher is back in bale receiving position. A further bale is now dropped and moved on the transfer conveyor so that all the bales advance one position, moving the next bale onto limit switch LS. 3. This bale is then pushed into the carton and the sequence is repeated until the second last bale has been loaded. As the last bale is being pushed limit switch L5. 6 is operated which starts a timer. This last bale makes contact with the previous one but due to varying bale sizes may not operate limit switch L8. 4. The timer runs out causing the bale guide to retract to a position controlled by limit switch L8. 9 after which the pusher plate 9 also retracts.

The carton carrying and tilting mechanism shown in FIG. 11 has a pair of support beams 65 to which a pair of arms 66 are connected at their lower ends by pivot connections 67. These arms 66 are provided with rollers 68 at their upper ends which travel along support beams 69. A second pair of arms 70 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to beams 69 by pivot connections 71 and these arms have rollers 72 at their lower ends which run on beams 65. Arms 66 and 70 are pivotally interconnected by pivot '73. The mechanism moves up and down by the action of air cylinder 74 with FIG. 11 showing the mechanism in raised position and FIG. 12 showing the lowered position.

The carton holding mechanism is pivotally mounted on beams 69 by means of pivot shaft 75. This mechanism includes L-shaped carton supports 76 with legs 77 and 78 joined at right angles. Legs 77 support the pallet 2 as shown in FIG. 12 and guides 79 are provided to hold the pallet in position. The legs 78 serve to support the carton in loading position as shown in FIG. 11. Guides are attached to beams 69 so that on tilting the carton opening is aligned to the bale guide 5.

The L-shaped supports 76 are mounted on shaft at their right angle corners and crank arms 81 are fixed to supports 76. The outer ends of these crank arms are connected to the rods 82 of hydraulic cylinders 83 which are mounted on brackets 84 on beams 69. The mechanism can be tilted between the positions shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 by actuation of the air cylinders 83.

I claim:

1. A device for inserting heavy rectangular prismatic bales of soft yieldable material in successive layers into a carton, said device comprising:

a. an elevatable carton support having a tiltable L- shaped frame for holding a carton in filling position at a plurality of selected descending levels with a bale-receiving opening on its side and controllably tilting a filled carton to upright position,

b. a bale guide in front of the bale-receiving opening being horizontally movable into the bale-receiving opening up to the full length of the carton,

c. conveyor means for positioning on the bale guide bales resting on a narrow rectangular face longitudinally in front of the bale-receiving opening of the carton, and

d. pusher means for pushing the bales from thebale guide into the carton, said pusher means being a hydraulically or pneumatically actuated pusher 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pusher plate having a raised perimeter on the baleplate includes an orifice for spraying dusting powder on contacting face to deflect the bale edge faces in the bale.

converging directions away from the carton wall. 

1. A device for inserting heavy rectangular prismatic bales of soft yieldable material in successive layers into a carton, said device comprising: a. an elevatable carton support having a tiltable L-shaped frame for holding a carton in filling position at a plurality of selected descending levels with a bale-receiving opening on its side and controllably tilting a filled carton to upright position, b. a bale guide in front of the bale-receiving opening being horizontally movable into the bale-receiving opening up to the full length of the carton, c. conveyor means for positioning on the bale guide bales resting on a narrow rectangular face longitudinally in front of the bale-receiving opening of the carton, and d. pusher means for pushing the bales from the bale guide into the carton, said pusher means being a hydraulically or pneumatically actuated pusher plate having a raised perimeter on the bale-contacting face to deflect the bale edge faces in converging directions away from the carton wall.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the pusher plate includes an orifice for spraying dusting powder on the bale. 